Helmets Do Save Lives in a Motorcycle Accident, but not All the Time

While helmets do save lives, it does depend on the nature of the accident. This accident took the lives of a couple, both wearing helmets.

It was early in the morning, a perfect night to take the bike out and go for a spin. The 44-year-old man and his 45-year-old girlfriend thought it would be fun to take a late night ride. The motorcycle was thrumming along without a hitch, heading east on an avenue. Just to the biker’s right, a PT Cruiser was coming out of the parking lot of a local bank.

The impact was bone crushing, as the biker and his passenger slammed into the side of the car. Both were thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene. Even though they were wearing helmets, the way they impacted and were tossed into the air and landed, meant instantaneous death. The car’s driver, in shock, was not hurt, but was examined at the scene and released.

According to the initial reports, the police do not suspect drugs or alcohol played a factor in this wreck. They are also ruling out speed. Nonetheless, both victims will be autopsied and toxicology reports conducted on both. Sadly, accidents like this one are all too common, particularly with the advent of better weather. The police in this one area alone had attended over six bike wrecks since the beginning of April.

The unfortunate thing about motorcycles is that other drivers on the road tend not to see them. This raises the stakes for an accident sky high. Often drivers will turn right in front of a biker, pull out in front of them or cut them off, somehow not seeing them, and their motorcycle, until it is too late for the biker to either survive a crash, or become a statistic.

Why do motorcyclist enthusiasts keep riding, even knowing the dangers that lurk out there on the road? It is because they love being out on the road, enjoying the scenery up close and personal. They also tend to think that they are vigilant and careful drivers. Many bikers are extremely careful riders. The problem isn’t the biker. It is the car driver who does not pay attention to the road space around them. More often than not, the cause of a motorcycle and vehicle wreck is the driver’s fault, and the first thing the drivers say is, “I didn’t see the bike.”

While that may be hard to believe, it is the underlying factor in a great many bike crashes. If you have been in a wreck with your bike, do not wait to talk to an experienced Atlanta personal injury lawyer, and above all else, do not sign any documentation or papers an insurance company tries to get you to sign. Call your Atlanta personal injury lawyer first – period.